The Bodyguard
by Lily Hanson
Summary: No matter how his bond with Kendall came to be, Chase felt like he needed to look out for her.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Chase wouldn't deny it: he loved to flirt. He loved the attention he could get from girls, even if it was brief. He would flirt when he was genuinely attracted to someone. He saw the eye rolls he got from the girl and her friends. He knew his own friends laughed at him, especially when he got rejected. But he didn't care.

But, though he loved to flirt for flirting sake, he never flirt to hurt. He wouldn't make promises he couldn't or wouldn't keep. If he did end up catching a girl with one of his pickup lines, he would test her out for at least one date. They never worked out, but he would be upfront about it at the end of the night. It had earned him several slammed doors in his face, but he didn't mind. The right girl was out there for him, but he would never find her by just waiting for fate to give him a good hand. The more he put himself out there, the more likely he was to run into her.

Some people called him a player. Most girls didn't bother give him a look once they heard he would talk to any girl he bumped into. But interacting with so many people gave him a good idea of what the world was like. Some people were fake; some a little too real and some were just downright nasty.

The one Chase was looking at now was the last on that list. Chase didn't like him.

"Whatcha looking at?" Riley asked as they stood in line at the checkout. Kendall had needed to pick up some supplies for her lab from the shop and Chase and Riley had volunteered to go with her. She was still a little tender after her fall from the Zord, so they wanted to be close just in case anything happened. For Riley, it was just a regular trip to the shop. For Chase, it meant playing bodyguard.

He couldn't explain his relationship with Kendall. They weren't quite friends, but he did care for her. She had been the one to explain his energem to him, and how his life had changed dramatically, and since then, he had been working closely with her. Koda had once explained they were like the tribe he grew up in. The three of them were their own little tribe, and had to look out and care for each other until the other Rangers turned up. Perhaps being in a small group for an extended amount of time had made Chase see Kendall, and even Koda, as more than friends.

Or, perhaps, it was the fact that the three of them were completely misunderstood. With Koda being a cave man, it was obvious why. He had trouble speaking, he often didn't know how to use every day technology, and he was sometimes awkward in social settings. And while Koda was all those things, he was also a strong, loyal, kind hearted man.

Kendall was the bitch – or so, that's what people said about her. Anyone who worked near her at the museum would agree that she was difficult to get along with. Chase, at one time, would have been part of the crowd. But working a little closer to her showed him that she wasn't a bitch, but more of a private person. She kept her personal life to herself, and focused on business while at work. She didn't often go out to socialize and never went out of her way to try and befriend anyone at the museum. Chase now understood she had a difficult upbringing, which made it hard for her to open herself up to anyone, including the Rangers.

As for Chase, people saw him as the player, but he wasn't. At least, not the stereotypical kind. He didn't flirt with anything in a dress. If he saw a girl he found attractive, he would pay her a compliment, or try one of his _smooth_ lines. He often failed, and it sometimes left him feeling a little disheartened, but he had no ill will. He wasn't about one night stands. He was genuinely looking for a relationship. People didn't see that.

No matter how his bond with Kendall came to be, Chase felt like he needed to look out for her. Especially when it came to men. He knew what they were like, he knew what they wanted, and he could sniff the bad ones out like Koda could sniff out a burger. And the man trying to talk to Kendall right now was one of the bad ones.

Kendall's usual personality often turned men away. She didn't dress to impress and she certainly wasn't trying to get anyone's attention. Any guy who did want to ask her out, whether he had good intentions or not, were quickly turned away either by Kendall stating it directly, or when she interrupted their pickup lines to let them know she was trying to focus on her work and they were in her light.

And Kendall had tried both approached with this man, but he wasn't standing down. In fact, he moved in closer to Kendall.

"This guy looks suss."

"Suss?" Riley frowned. Chase sighed.

"There's something not right about him."

"Who? The guy with Ms. Morgan?" Riley chuckled and pat Chase on the back. "Relax. Ms. Morgan's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

"I don't doubt it," Chase agreed. "But some guys have a hard time hearing no."

"Like you?"

"I stop at rejection," Chase said. "Kendall's shot him the look, she's asked him to back off, and this guy is still trying to talk to her."

"How do you know they aren't just talking about... whatever she's here to pick up," Riley looked around the shop. He was a smart kid and did really well in school, but most of the technology in this shop had him boggled. "She's probably just annoyed because she's already explained something to him, but he's not listening. Like when she tells you not to put your Dino Com in your pocket while your practicing new stunts."

"Nah, bro," Chase shook his head. "I'm going to check it out."

"Chase..." Riley sighed, but he let the black Ranger go. Chase walked over to where Kendall and the man were talking and cut in between them.

"Excuse me, Kendall, Riley and I are ready to leave. So if you've got what you wanted..."

"Hey, man, can't you see we were talking here?" the man said. Chase looked to him, then to Kendall.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she nodded and quickly took the opportunity to walk over to the cashier to pay. Chase let her get a head start, wanting to put as much distance between her and her unwanted suitor as possible.

"She's not interested," he told him. "So just bugger off."

"Whatever, _mate,_" the man waved him off with a scoff. "Why don't you go interrupt someone back in Australia?"

"Australia?" Chase laughed and shook his head. "Seriously?"

The man rolled his eyes and walked off. Chase called after him. "I'm from New Zealand! Take a geography class!"

Chase turned around after his comment and almost bumped into Riley and Kendall. She had bags in her hands and looked ready to leave. Chase smirked and pointed to the retreating figure of the man who had been bothering her.

"Glad I interrupted that little conversation," he smirked. "Turns out, he was late for class anyways."

Kendall rolled her eyes. After months working with her, Chase knew that was the closest thing to a thanks he would get, so he accepted it.

"Are we ready to leave?" he asked. Riley shook his head.

"There's a really cool games shop just a few stores down. While we're here, mind if I just run in quick and see what's new?"

"Have at it," Kendall nodded. Riley smiled, thanked her and hurried off. Chase and Kendall followed him slowly, hoping that by the time they reached the store he was talking about, Riley would be ready to leave.

As they walked, Chase offered to carry Kendall's bags for her. She refused, but then followed up with something a little surprising to the black Ranger.

"Thanks for stepping in," she said. "That guy just... wouldn't leave."

"Some people are like that," he told her. "You just got to keep drilling it into their heads. And if that doesn't work, it never hurts to have a backup plan. You ever want to get rid of a guy, just give me a nod."

Kendall frowned. "You're not serious?"

"What? Some guys are a piece of work."

"I meant about following me around," Kendall stated. "I tolerate you, Chase, but I don't expect you to be by my side all the time."

"Tolerate?" Chase put his hand over his heart. "Ow. That hurts. I really thought you at least preferred my company over most other people."

"That's what... never mind," Kendall sighed. She knew Chase was only playing with her, but she wasn't up for any games. She just wanted to get back to the lab and back to work.

"I was serious, eh," he told her when he saw her starting to close up again. This opening wouldn't last much longer. He wanted her to know he had her back. "I'm your friend, alright. I want to be there looking out for you."

"Does this have anything to do with falling off the ankylozord? Chase, I..."

"I'm your friend, Kendall," he looked her right in the eyes as he said it. "Whether you believe it or not. If you need something, I want to help."

Kendall nodded her head, then turned away from Chase, but there was a little smile on her lips.

"Thanks, Chase."

"All good," he smiled back. Then he put his arm around her. Kendall shrugged it off and frowned.

"Don't even try it."


End file.
